


Holier than thou and Reed

by saltandpepur



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Child Abuse, Elijah and Gavin are related, Fluff, Gavin and Elijah Are Cousins, Gavin names him, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Gavin, Past Child Abuse, RK900 is James, Sad, Sad Gavin, Sort Of, mentioned child abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-07-16 02:06:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16076087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltandpepur/pseuds/saltandpepur
Summary: Gavin Reed: the forgotten child.Elijah Kamski: the genius child.The same in their own right, yet two cousins that can never get along.Or alternatively: Elijah visits the DPD to mostly annoy Gavin, gets flirted with and Gavin has a mental breakdown with his new maybe-boyfriend. Who happens to be an android.





	Holier than thou and Reed

Considering the scale of the revolution, things had gone back to normal astonishingly quickly. Sure, hate crimes against androids were still rather commonplace, and the odd human turned up dead after getting on the wrong side of a violent or otherwise traumatised android, but otherwise the DPD had had a lot less work. 

Gavin sat at his desk, feet up and a cup of coffee in his hand. The computer in front of him was open to a series of android/human related crime files, many that simply needed closing. He threw his head back and grimaced in disdain at the monotony of his job. What had happened to the action? Bloody Anderson and his andr- and Connor had been given all the remotely interesting cases. 

He was about to consider faking sick and going home early, or possibly falling asleep at his desk when a vibration buzzed loudly on his desk. Gavin tipped himself forward and grabbed his phone by its slightly cracked screen. 

_Fucking Elijah_

_Coming in for a visit, dear cousin. Don’t be too excited._

Gavin scowled at his phone and slammed it down on his desk. Stupid fucking Elijah, the prince of family get togethers, always used against Gavin to show how useless he was. What did he think he was doing visiting the DPD? Everyone knew that Kamski didn’t give a shit about the revolution, if anything he revelled in the chaos. 

Suddenly energised, Gavin got up and made his way to the break room, pocketing his phone. As if the very Gods or whatever were playing a cruel joke on him, in the break room sat the another android. Connor’s twin. Gavin pursed his lips at the the thought - did he have a name?

Looking at RK900 a little longer, he noticed an almost imperceptible downward turn of his lips. Frowning, Gavin was determined to change that. 

Gavin strode into the room, loudly announcing his presence to the only other occupant. “Well, well, fancy seeing you here. You know, considering you can’t eat, sleep or drink.”

RK900 looked up at him. “Hello, Detective.” He remained sitting rod straight, as if someone had shoved a stick up his ass. 

Gavin slumped down on a chair next to him. “Why so uptight? You’re all sentient and shit now, aren’t you?” He pulled a wrapped cereal bar from his pocket and began to absentmindedly munch on it, glancing at the clock to see how long he could push his break. 

“It is not a choice, Detective. My collar prevents me from lowering my head.” RK900 replied. 

Gavin blinked for a few moments. “Then why the fuck did Cyberlife design it like that? What a shit decision.” He put down his cereal bar and before he could process what he was about to do he reached for RK900’s collar and undid it. They both paused for a moment, unsure how to proceed after this. 

“T-thank you, Detective.”

Was it just Gavin’s imagination or did he just stutter? “Why’d you keep the thing done up anyway?” He asked, genuinely curious. With his newfound freedom, surely he could’ve done it himself now?

RK900 was silent for a moment, his LED flashing yellow before turning to its calming blue. “I didn’t want to give Cyberlife any excuse to...terminate me.” He replied carefully. 

“You’re afraid to die,” Gavin summarised. “That’s probably the most human thing I’ve heard from you so far.” 

“Thank you?,” RK900 said, slightly questioning. “I suppose that is a compliment from you, Detective.”

Gavin paused for a moment. “You can call me Gavin, you know. I mean, we’re coworkers, and I think we’re gonna be placed as partners...” he trailed off and took another bite of his cereal bar.

RK900 sent him a genuine smile, and Gavin felt his heart skip slightly.  
“Of course...Gavin. I’d return the favour, however...” his voice became quiet and his LED began to flash red.

Gavin had a sneaking suspicion he’d been right. “You don’t have a name?”

RK900 looked a little ashamed. “No one ever gave me one, and it didn’t feel right to choose my own.”

Gavin frowned. That wasn’t fair. Why hasn’t anyone named him? “Would you like a name?” He blurted. Immediately, his eyes widened and he resisted the urge to clamp his mouth shut. Why had he said that?

RK, for all his emotionless act, looked surprised and...pleased. “I - I would like a name. No one seems to want to give me one, though.”

Gavin narrowed his eyes at the self deprecating tone. He didn’t even know the androids had developed that yet. He studied him for a moment. “James.” 

RK looked up at him. “James?”

“Your name,” Gavin clarified. “It suits you. That is, if you like it?” 

James beamed. “James,” he repeated, rolling the word around in his mouth. “James.”

Gavin watched as he got used to his new name. He stole a quick glance at the clock, and sighed heavily when he realised that he had technically exceeded his break by 10 minutes. There was no way he could pull off any longer than that.  
“I have to get back before the captain kicks my ass, but I’ll see you around, James.”

And with that Gavin turned and exited the break room, returning to the room stocked full of desk after desk. He missed James’ soft smile after him. 

On his way to his desk he recalled the text from earlier and took a detour, good mood instantly soured. Instead of doing work, Connor was perched on Anderson’s desk, cradling a small cactus. Anderson was sitting in his chair, arms crossed and a small smile playing at his lips. A small droplet of blue blood bloomed from Connor’s finger as he poked the cactus a little too hard. In a very human gesture, he stuck the finger in his mouth to stem the bleeding. Would that even work for androids? Gavin wondered. 

“Anderson!” He called as he approached the desk. Both of them turned to look at him. “Andriodson, then,” Gavin rectified, pleased with the opportunity that he’d been graced. 

“Yes?” Connor said, not looking at all pleased to see Gavin. Which was fair enough, he supposed. Whether it was the pun or just general contempt for Gavin’s existence, he wasn’t sure.

“Just thought I’d give you a heads up that my cousin is dropping by soon for some goddamn reason. He’s a bit much, although I’m sure you’re already well aware.” Gavin said, leaning against the opposite desk. 

“If he’s anything like you I’m sure he’ll be a bloody delight,” Hank snorted. 

“Oh you’re already well aquatinted with him, I’m sure,” Gavin dismissed. 

Both Anderson officers looked at him with thinly veiled confusion and irritation. Pleased, Gavin was about the stand and leave when his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He fished it out and stared at the screen. 

_Fucking Elijah calling..._

_Accept >> Deny << _

Gavin watched the phone ring, wondering if he could let it ring out and pretend he never saw it.

“You gonna answer that?” Hank said from where he and Connor were still watching him. Scowling, Gavin swiped right and pulled the phone to his ear.

“What do you want?”

_“So aggressive. I see you’re not over your childhood jealously?”_

“Fuck off Kamski. What do you want?”

_“Just letting you know that I’m almost there and ready to embarrass you. That is, if you’ve not done that already.”_

“Shut the fuck up.” Gavin gritted his teeth in frustration. “Why are you even coming?”

_“Some of my finest creations reside in that building. I simply wish to check up on them.”_

“Stay away from James.” Gavin warned. In front of him, Hank mouthed to Connor ‘James?’ and simply received a shrug. 

_“James?”_

“You know who he is, fucker. Just because you didn’t see fit to name him.”

_“Little android-hating Gavin, attached to an android? I never thought I’d see the day.”_

“Keep this up and you won’t see any days. Goodbye, dickhead.” And with that Gavin hung up on Elijah, cutting him off mid sentence. 

He angrily stuffed his phone in his pocket and stood upright, ready to get as far away from other people as possible. As he turned to walk away, a voice sounded behind him.

“Your cousin is Elijah Kamski?” Connor asked. Gavin paused and considered simply walking away before he sighed deeply and turned towards him. “Yes. Not sure how you’ve never noticed the...familial resemblance.” The word familial had an unhealthy amount of venom coursing through it. Connor studied Gavin for a few moments, before he conceded. 

“You do look very similar.”

“Tell me something I don’t fucking know,” Gavin griped before storming off back to his desk, where James was hovering. 

Gavin sat down heavily and buried his head sun his arms, mentally counting the seconds until -

“Oh dear cousin!” A voice called from across the room. Every officer present turned to the source of the noise to find a grinning Elijah Kamski at the doorway. His usually styled hair was flowing loose and he didn’t seem to have put a lot of effort into his appearance. 

Gavin groaned and hit his head on his desk. 

“Hey, Reed! Don’t ignore me!” Elijah called, hellbent on tormenting Gavin. The other officers turned to look at him with clear expressions of shock at the relation. 

Gavin pulled his head up and stared emotionlessly at Elijah. “What do you want?”

“Just dropping into say hi to Connor and Other Connor. Annoying you is just a bonus.” Kamski smirked and turned to James.

“Haven’t killed him yet then? I’m impressed.”

James’ LED flickered yellow for a few seconds. “I enjoy Gavin’s company.”

“Shit, you’re on a first name basis? Must be serious.” Elijah smirked at Gavin, receiving a deadpan glare in response. 

Abruptly, Elijah turned away from Gavin’s desk and made his way across the room. Every other officer in the precinct had stopped their work to watch the drama unfurl in front of them. None of them would’ve ever guessed that sour, surly, Android-hating Gavin Reed would be related to the founder of Cyberlife himself. 

Elijah came to a stop at Connor and Hank’s desk, where Connor was fiddling with a coin. 

“Connor, so good to see you again.”

Connor looked up at Elijah, his LED spinning yellow for a few moments. “You’re not going to try and make me shoot anyone again, are you?”

Elijah at least had the decency to look sheepish. He rubbed his neck with his hand, uncharacteristically looking a little embarrassed. “If it’s any consolation, I knew you wouldn’t do it.” Elijah offered.

“It’s not, but thank you anyway,” Connor replied, setting the coin down. He tiled his head slightly and studied Kamski for a few long moments. “You have your hair down,” he stated.

Elijah nodded, confused at the turn in conversation. “Yes...”

Connor nodded. “It suits you.”

Elijah stood, speechless for a moment before he regained his senses and smiles at Connor. “Why, thank you. I knew I programmed you to have a good sense of style.” 

Connor smiled back at him, before sipping away to rearrange his small collection of desktop plants. 

“Actually,” Elijah blurted. “Can we talk outside?”

-

Gavin sat seething at his desk as he watched Kamski lead Connor outside. 

“You seem displeased,” James’ voice sounded from beside him.

Gavin acknowledged his comment with a slight nod of his head. “Kamski is obsessed with Connor. It got to the point where the only thing he and I spoke about during our rare conversations was him. It’s fuckin’ weird, I mean he created him.”

James’ LED span for a moment before he asked, “are you implying that Elijah Kamski has romantic inclinations towards Connor?”

Gavin snorted into the cup of almost stone-cold coffee he’d picked up from his desk. “I’m more than just implying it. That fucker is obsessed, let me tell you.” He took a sip from the cup, and immediately spat it out. “Oh, that’s disgusting!”

“That cup has been there for 48 minutes, Detec - Gavin.”

“No wonder it tasted like shit then,” Gavin grumbled, getting up to go pour it down the sink. 

With nothing better to do, James stood and followed him to the break room. Gavin was standing leaned over the skin, cup scrunched up in his hand, head bowed.

“Gavin?” James said slowly, approaching him carefully. “Are you alright?”

“Just - fucking Elijah. I thought I’d be free of him when he became all holier than thou and fucked off to his secluded forest mansion. Fucker.” Gavin kicked the cupboard. “Fucker!”

James’ LED whirred for a few moments before he tentatively grabbed Gavin’s shoulder. “Maybe we should go outside for a bit?” He proposed. 

Gavin looked at him for a long moment before his shoulders slumped in defeat. “Alright, tin can. Let’s go.” The insult had no real bite to it. 

-

Gavin pushed open the door to the department, cool air hitting his face. A short distance away, Elijah and Connor were approaching the building. Gavin stopped in his tracks, baring his teeth at the approaching couple. 

“Gavin,” Elijah greeted uninterestedly in passing. Gavin made a point of colliding their shoulders together as they passed, sending Elijah sprawling into Connor. They exchanged glares the two companioning androids ignored the situation. 

Gavin slumped on the floor against a wall, pulling a cigarette and lighting it for a smoke. He took a deep drag, releasing a cloud of smoke into the air and closing his eyes in order to relax. The cold air washed over him and he felt the tightness in his chest being to dissipate slowly. James sat down next to Gavin, a small area of space between them.

“If you do not mind me asking, Gavin: why do you two hate each other so much?” James asked quietly.

Gavin was silent for a few moments, and James almost thought he wasn’t going to reply until Gavin sighed deeply and opened his mouth.

“Elijah was always the star kid of family gatherings and shit. I was  
constantly compared to him. Gavin, the mediocre student and Elijah, child genius. He went to college early.” Gavin took a deep drag of his cigarette ants opened his eyes to look at James. “My mom resented me for it, James. Why couldn’t I be the perfect one? Why was she stuck with the - with the failure?” 

“They neglected you.” James frowned at Gavin, who had closed his eyes again and was resting his head against the wall.

“Among other shit. Dad broke my arm, once. He was showing me how to fix a circuit and I kept fucking it up. He got angry and threw me down by my shoulder. Clean break. Gavin lifted his right arm to gesture to his arm. “Right in two. Told the hospital I fell out a tree. The medical bills caused even more hatred.” Gavin let out a bitter laugh.

James say silently, digesting the information. “Child abuse is illegal.”

“Well no one fuckin’ knew, did they, smartass. That or they didn’t care.” Gavin sighed and stubbed his cigarette out on his jeans.

“Does Elijah know this?”

“How can he not?” Gavin scoffed. “With how openly my parents treated me...he has to.” He trailed off into silence, watching as small droplets if water began to fall from the sky. 

“I’m sorry.” James looked at Gavin. He said nothing, didn’t even acknowledge his speaking. 

It began to rain heavier, and Gavin moved subtly closer to James. As they sat there in the downpour, a new beginning emerged. Maybe just for once, Gavin could be first to someone.

Or maybe not.


End file.
